Weapons for Tyrants: Trump’s $142 Billion Arms Deal with Saudi Arabia Is a Bonanza for War and a Betrayal of Humanity
In a world crying out for peace, justice, and sustainability, the U.S. government has just chosen to fund more war by starting an arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
This week, President Donald Trump announced what the White House is calling “the largest defense sales agreement in history”: a $142 billion weapons deal with Saudi Arabia. The sale involves nearly a dozen major U.S. weapons manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, RTX (formerly Raytheon), and Northrop Grumman.
The arms package, covering everything from fighter jets and missile defense systems to surveillance and communication tech, is framed as a boost for “security” and “economic partnership.” But make no mistake: this is a gift to war profiteers and authoritarian regimes at the expense of global peace and human rights.
Arms Deal is Propping Up a Brutal Regime
The Trump administration’s decision to arm the Saudi monarchy—led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman—is not just morally indefensible, it’s strategically disastrous. The Crown Prince is directly implicated in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as numerous human rights violations, including the bombing of civilians in Yemen and the execution of political dissidents.
As Trump fawned over the Crown Prince in Riyadh—saying, “I like him too much, that’s why we give so much”—millions of people around the world heard the message loud and clear: U.S. foreign policy is for sale to the highest bidder.
Who Benefits from this Arms Deal?
Let’s be clear about who this deal is for:
- Weapons contractors, whose stock prices soar with every new conflict;
- Oil-rich oligarchs, whose repressive regimes are now flush with advanced U.S. firepower;
- Political elites, who continue to build personal fortunes on global instability.
Who loses?
- The Yemeni children living under bombs;
- The dissidents silenced or killed by Saudi forces;
- The American public, whose tax dollars fuel endless wars instead of healthcare, education, or climate solutions.
The Cost of Militarism
This arms deal represents everything the Peace Economy Project opposes: the normalization of militarized foreign policy, the subsidizing of human rights abusers, and the false narrative that security comes from weapons rather than diplomacy.
While Trump jokes about asking Saudi Arabia to invest $1 trillion, Americans are told we “can’t afford” public broadcasting, Medicaid, or school lunches. This is not a matter of budget—it’s a matter of priorities.
Where Is Congress?
In 2019, a bipartisan Congress tried to stop a similar arms deal. Trump vetoed it. Now, with an even larger agreement on the table, Congress must act again. We cannot allow the executive branch to hand over weapons of war without public debate or accountability.
Our Call to Action
At Peace Economy Project, we call for:
- An immediate halt to the Saudi arms deal;
- A full investigation into the influence of foreign governments on U.S. policy;
- A redirection of public funds from the military-industrial complex toward human needs;
- A reinvestment in diplomacy, international cooperation, and peacebuilding.
The U.S. should not be in the business of enabling authoritarian violence. We should be leading the world away from war—not arming it.
Take Action:
📢 Contact your members of Congress and demand they oppose the $142 billion Saudi arms deal.
✊ Join us in building a peace economy—where public money funds justice, not jets.
